Indiana State’s Lansing talks UE

Before his Sycamores won 69-60 Wednesday against Missouri State, Indiana State coach Greg Lansing talked about the other motion scheme his team will face this week on the Missouri Valley’s Monday teleconference.

The Sycamores enter Saturday’s 7:05 p.m. tip at the Hulman Center in Terre Haute 11-6 overall and 4-2 in MVC play, good for third in the league.

Greg Lansing

Lansing on game planning for UE: “It just makes my stomach turn thinking about them. It’s an awfully, awfully difficult team to play against, and I think just as a coach that’s what you try to get your team to be – really difficult to play against. And there’s nobody tougher to play against than Marty’s (Simmons) teams and Evansville. I caught a little bit of that game (Sunday) and we all know how good Wichita is. Obviously Evansville just took it right at them and imposed their will on them. I heard Marty talking a little bit about Troy and just the things he’s able to do as a guard with his rebounding ability. He’s tough, a leader, and he defends. And they’ve got arguably of anyone not named Doug McDermott the best offensive player in the league in Colt Ryan, and I’m about sick of seeing him so hopefully he’s going to be graduating soon. They’re just really good – awfully tough to play against.”

Lansing on what’s allowed UE to win four out of its last five: “I think it just comes with the experience, and they’ve got a little size there with their additions. They’ve done a great job in recruiting, and anytime you get leaders and players like Taylor and Colt Ryan to build around – and they’ve been there that long – they set the tone for new guys who come in. ‘Here’s how we work here. You’re going to get better while you’re here. You’re not just going to come and punch the clock.’ They get better while at Evansville, and they work hard…It looks like they’re as good as any we’ve seen.”

Missouri State, like UE, runs motion offense sets. Lansing on preparing for them: “The two that we’re going against this week do a better job than I do of teaching (the motion). They really get guys to screen…The hard thing to do is getting the guys to read when to screen…You’ve got to learn, you’ve got to play together some, you’ve got to practice, and it’s a thinking man’s offense as well. I know Paul (Lusk) does a great job with it. Marty, too. We try to go against it every day. We certainly do. Everyone does doctor it their own way a little bit. I think Paul will get some isolations to start the motion, and then there will be screens and cuts like Evansville does. Those are the different ways they tweak the offenses.”